Garment-form.



No. 643,543. Patented Feb. l3, I900. E. M. SCHRADER.

GARMENT FORM.

(Application filed Aug. 17V 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES A TTOHNEYS we "cams wzrsns :0. PHOYO-UTHQ. WASHINGTONKD. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLA M. SOHRADER, OF SEATTLE, IVASHINGTON.

GARMENT-FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,543, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed A g st 17, 1899. Serial No, 727,574. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELLA M. SOHRADER, of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a new and Improved Dress-Former, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved dress-former which is simple and durable in construction and arranged to enable a dressmaker to conveniently and quickly change it to different-sized forms, according to the size and shape to be given to a garment, the former being readily collapsible, taking up very little room when not in use, and permitting of packing it into asmall space for transportation or other purposes.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claim.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement with part in section, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

The improved dress-former is provided with an inflatable body A, made of rubber or other elastic material and conforming when inflated approximately to the shape of the gar ment to be given a proper fit, as hereinafter more fully described.

The body A has a solid bottom B, of wood or other material, and in this bottom B is arranged a tube 0, held on a stand D for supporting the former a suitable distance above the floor, the tube 0 being connected with a pipeE for inflating the body A with air either by the operator blowing into the said tube 0 or by pumping air into the same by means of a suitable air-pump connected with the said tube.

Upon the bodyA when in a collapsed condition is placed one of a series of different sized and shaped covers F, of canvas or other suitable material, the cover selected being approximately of the shape of the garment to be made; but upon this cover is fitted a restrainer or lining made according to measurements taken from the person for whom the garment is intended, so that when the re strainer which forms the pattern for the dress is placed on the cover and the body A is inflated by pumping air into the same then the said restrainer is fully expanded by the expanding body A and the cover to produce a form according to which the garment is made and fitted without requiring the presence of the person for whom the garment is intended, as the restrainer or lining is a complete facsimile or pattern made according to measure ments of the person, and hence the garment made according to the form will be an exact fit. It is understood that the cover F protects the body of rubber or other elastic material from being pierced by pins or other fastening devices when fitting the pieces for the garment over the restrainer or lining G.

In order to prevent the waist portion of the body A from unduly expanding, I provide an elastic belt H, encircling the waist portion of the body, and which belt serves to restrain the Waist portion of the body from undue expansion when inflated. A strip I of rubber or like elastic material reinforces the body A at the back thereof between the shoulder portions, so as to prevent undue expansion of the back of the body when the latter is inflated. The rubber body A is also provided with a cap J at the neck portion and with caps K at the arm portions, as it is not necessary that the body A be provided with arm portions, as the sleeves of garments are made and fitted separately from the waist.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as-new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The herein-described dress-former, comprising a stand, a bottom supported on said stand and an inflatable body, having its lower edge secured to said bottom, the said body having anelastic reinforce-belt around the waist portion thereof and an elastic reinforcestrip across the shoulder portion thereof, whereby to prevent such portion from unduly stretching When the body is inflated, as and for the purpose set forth.

ELLA M. SCHRADER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SULLIVAN, J EANNIE F. SULLIVAN. 

